Next Door Neighbour
by Zip Goes A Million
Summary: Sybil Crawley lives next door to Tom Branson and his daughter, Lydia. Sparks fly between the two when they first meet, but despite this, their relationship takes a while to get off the ground.
1. Babysitting Lydia

**Next Door Neighbour**  
 **Chapter 1: Babysitting Lydia**

Lady Sybil Crawley, or Sybil, as she preferred to be known, was tidying the house she shared with her best friend, Gwen, on the outskirts of London. It wasn't the most beautiful house in the world, nor was it in the most beautiful location, but it was functional and it was all the two of them needed. It wasn't hard to keep clean and tidy, and there was enough space for the two to live harmoniously side by side, even when they did have the odd argument.

Sybil and Gwen had been too busy to keep the house organised over the past few weeks, so Sybil was trying to give the living room a much-needed tidy up. She was playing music from her phone as a soundtrack to her tidying, but was surprised when it suddenly stopped mid-song. She turned around to find Gwen standing the doorway, having paused the song so that she could speak to Sybil.

"Do you want to go out tonight?" Gwen asked. She hadn't been enjoying her work recently, and had been dealing with it by drinking too much alcohol on the weekends.

"I can't," Sybil said. "I promised Tom I'd babysit for him."

Tom Branson, an Irish journalist, lived next door with his five year old daughter, Lydia. When Sybil and Gwen moved into their house, Tom had helped them move boxes and set up furniture to speed the process along a little. On one occasion, Tom had been in the middle of building furniture when he noticed the time and had to go and get Lydia from school. Sybil and Gwen were grateful for the help and could have finished building the furniture on their own, but Tom was insistent that he wouldn't leave the job half done, so he returned with his daughter and finished the job. This was the first time that Sybil and Gwen had met Lydia.

She had blonde hair and dark brown eyes and looked nothing like Tom. She had very fine features and her cheeks were rosy and sprinkled with freckles. She had lived her whole life on the outskirts of London, so didn't have even the slightest Irish accent, yet despite the differences between father and daughter, she had him wrapped tightly around her little finger. Tom doted on her and she was the most important thing in his life.

"You can't babysit for him," Gwen moaned.

"Why not?" Sybil asked.

"Because I need you!" Gwen said very overdramatically.

"I'm not going to cancel on him, Gwen," Sybil said with a raised eyebrow.

"Is that because you're honouring a promise or because you want to spend more time with him?" Gwen teased.

"Oh come on, Gwen, he needs someone to look after Lydia. I'm just giving a helping hand."

"Mmhmm," Gwen hummed. "I'm sure a helping hand is what he wants!"

"Gwen!" Sybil shrieked, feeling her cheeks deepening in colour.

"I'm only pointing out the obvious!"

"Go away!" Sybil said, shooing her out of the room. "Take your dirty mind somewhere else and let me tidy up in here."

"Can we go for brunch tomorrow then? If I can't drown my sorrows with you, the next best thing is talking about them to you over food," Gwen asked.

"Are you sure you'll manage brunch? Mid-morning's a little early if you've got a hangover," Sybil warned.

"I'll be fine," Gwen said. "I'll try not to get too drunk."

" _Try_ being the key word," Sybil mocked.

Gwen mocked being offended. "I'll have you know that I can hold my drink!"

"Gwen I can't remember the last time you went out drinking and didn't wake up with a hangover."

"Hey!" Gwen wailed indignantly.

"It's true!" Sybil stated. "Now, go away, I need to keep on tidying."

"Yes, mum," Gwen teased.

Sybil flashed a disapproving look of amusement at the redhead as she turned her back and left the room.

-ooo-

Later that evening, Sybil stood on Tom's front porch and knocked on the door. Lydia opened the door with an excited grin and immediately hugged Sybil.

"Hello, my lovely," Sybil said, smiling back at the five year old.

"Lydia, are you in your pyjamas yet?" Tom called from somewhere else in the house.

Sybil stepped into the house, closing the door behind her, whilst Lydia ran off upstairs.

"Hi Sybil," Tom said as he left the kitchen and saw Sybil by the door.

"Hi," Sybil said, trying to stop herself from squealing at the sight of Tom. He was wearing a smart suit, but he hadn't got his jacket on yet, his shirt sleeves were rolled up, his bow tie wasn't yet tied and his hair was a mess. (A gorgeous, sexy mess, but a mess nonetheless.)

"Lydia's been a bit of a pain today," Tom sighed. "She's got far too much energy and I'm already running late."

Sybil left her bag on the floor and said, "Look, you finish getting ready to go out, and I'll go and get the munchkin into her pyjamas."

Tom visibly relaxed a little at Sybil's suggestion. "Would you? Thank you so much, Sybil."

"It's what I'm here for," Sybil said with a smile as she began to go upstairs.

Half way up the stairs, Sybil was nearly knocked down by Lydia running down them.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Sybil said, taking hold of Lydia to slow her down. "Where are you going?"

"I need to get Patch from downstairs," Lydia said quickly.

"Who or what is Patch?" Sybil enquired.

"He's my teddy bear," Lydia said. "I left him downstairs. I can't sleep without him."

"You also can't sleep if you're not in your pyjamas. So let's go and get you in your pyjamas first, and then we can go and get Patch, okay?"

"Okay," Lydia said, turning around and bounding back up the stairs.

Sybil sighed quietly. She knew that tonight would be a long night. She followed Lydia to her bedroom, just by the top of the stairs. It was surprisingly tidy apart from a few toys on the floor. Lydia opened her drawer and pulled out her favourite pair of pyjamas. They were particularly soft and warm with blue and beige horizontal stripes. As Lydia put the pyjamas on, Sybil picked up and folded the clothes she had just taken off and put them in a neat pile in the corner of the room.

"I need to go and get Patch now," Lydia said, running out of the room.

Sybil followed her with a little less enthusiasm. She walked into the sitting room and saw Lydia holding Patch. He was a dark brown teddy bear with patched elbows, knees and ears. He looked tatty and worn, but Sybil hadn't recalled seeing him before. Lydia had certainly never mentioned a bear called Patch.

Tom walked down the hallway and into the sitting room. "I need to go, but I can't go without a kiss from my girl," he said.

Lydia jumped up and ran to her father, wrapping her arms around his neck as he lifted her up and gave her a kiss.

"You must promise to be good for Sybil tonight, okay?"

"I promise," she said with a smile. "You must promise to have a good time tonight, okay?"

Tom laughed at his daughter's words. "I promise."

He put Lydia down and she disappeared upstairs. He turned to Sybil. "Thank you so much for doing this. I wouldn't be going out if I didn't have to," he said. Tom was going to a works event. He never wanted to go, but the networking opportunities were too important to risk missing it.

"It's really no problem," Sybil said cheerfully.

"If you need me, you've got my number," he said.

"Yes I do," Sybil confirmed. "But I'm sure everything will be fine."

Tom smiled.

"Enjoy yourself," Sybil said.

"I'll try. Thank you," he said, walking towards the front door. "Bye."

"Bye."

The front door closed behind Tom and Sybil turned to go back up the stairs to get Lydia into bed.

"Sybil, can you tell me one of your special stories please?" Lydia begged when Sybil stepped into her room.

"Only once you've cleaned your teeth," Sybil said.

"But I want-"

"No buts," Sybil interrupted. "Come on, it's non-negotiable. You are going to clean your teeth, I am going to tell you a story and then you are going to go to sleep, yes?"

"Yes," Lydia huffed as she walked towards the bathroom.

Sybil smiled to herself as she watched Lydia walk past her. She was a child who would go far. Nothing was going to stand in her way. She took after her father in that respect.

Once Lydia was settled in bed, Sybil sat beside her and began to make up a story. No two of Sybil's stories were the same. Some of them involved adventures, some of them involved fantasy creatures and some of them involved strange plots that made Lydia laugh.

Sybil would put on different voices for the different characters in her tales and really make the characters come alive. Whenever Sybil was around, Lydia refused to let her read one of her normal bedtime stories, because the ones Sybil made up were so much better.

Tonight's story told the tale of an ancient purple dragon who was consumed by vanity and hoarded mirrors. He had large reflective wings and flew through the air, but couldn't breathe fire. One day he decided that none of his mirrors were large enough for his liking, so he flew to the nearest lake and gazed upon himself in the still glistening waters. He spent hours looking at himself, making sure that every scale was exactly where it should be. If he looked his best, then the world had nothing to worry about as far as he was concerned. When the sun began to set and it became hard to see himself in the water, he returned to his cave to gaze at himself in all of his thousands of mirrors. But upon his return he found nothing more than smashed metal and glass. Somebody else had ransacked his hoard. He had no way of knowing who it was or how long ago the crime had taken place. All he knew is that he was angry about it. He got cross and then he cried and then he mourned the loss of his mirrors. All of his hard work collecting mirrors had gone to waste. But perhaps the destruction of his property wasn't the worst thing in the world. For, the purple dragon realised that he had spent so much time looking at himself that he never looked upon others. He cared only that he looked good and didn't even acknowledge others. This thought upset the dragon, so he decided to sweep all the broken mirrors out of his cave. He would no longer hoard anything. Instead, he would collect whatever he could find and donate them to other dragons for their hoards. For the rest of his life he helped other dragons before himself and everybody began to look upon him with admiration and thanks rather than with disgust and hatred, as they had before.

By the time Sybil had finished telling her story, Lydia had fallen asleep. Sybil smiled at the little girl lying beside her. Sybil stood up and pulled a blanket up over Lydia's shoulders. She turned the light out as she left the room and whispered, "Good night."

-ooo-

Once downstairs, Sybil turned on the television, turned the volume down and flicked through the channels until she found something vaguely interesting to watch. It was only eight o'clock and Tom wasn't expected back until at least eleven, so Sybil had some time to kill. She had brought a book and some work with her, but she didn't really feel up to anything that required intense concentration. In the first advert break Sybil realised how thirsty she was so she went into the kitchen to make herself a cup of coffee. She knew the caffeine would help her stay up for a while. Despite the fact that she grew up going to a lot of important social events which took place late at night, Sybil was naturally a morning person. Given a choice she would rather go to bed earlier and then wake up earlier than go to bed and wake up late, but since becoming a nurse she had trained herself to be able to wake up and go to bed at any time, provided that she had enough fuel to keep her going. This cup of coffee was the fuel she needed to be able to cope with staying up so late tonight.

She settled back on the sofa and continued watching television for an hour or so before Lydia made an appearance.

"Sybil," she said quietly from the edge of the room.

Sybil was startled by the voice and jerked her gaze behind her to see the little girl with Patch in her arms. Sybil stood up and walked towards Lydia.

"Hey, what's up? Why are you awake?" she asked gently, crouching beside her.

"I had a nightmare," Lydia said slowly.

"Oh, darling," Sybil said, feeling sorry for her. She reached across and wrapped her arms around her. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Lydia shook her head.

"Do you think you can go back to bed?" Sybil asked.

Lydia shook her head again.

"Do you want a quick cuddle on the sofa?" Sybil suggested.

Lydia nodded, her face still holding a sad expression.

"Come on then," Sybil said.

Lydia climbed onto the sofa and Sybil found a blanket to lay over them both. Sybil sat next to Lydia and wrapped her arm around her.

Lydia fell against Sybil's side and held Patch close to her.

Sybil picked up the television remote and began flicking through the channels again to find something suitable for Lydia. All the children's channels were off air so late at night, so Sybil tried to find something that was interesting but didn't contain violence or nudity or swearing. _Planet Earth._ That would do. It was interesting and educational, but not so complicated that Lydia would be unable to follow it, and there was no nudity, swearing or violence, so Sybil decided that it was a good choice.

Before long, Lydia's breathing was slow and consistent, and she had stopped wriggling. She was asleep. Sybil thought that perhaps she should take her back up to bed, but she didn't want to risk waking the little girl by moving her, so she left her where she was and continued to hug her. The episode had finished, but there was another one starting straight away, so Sybil had no reason to change the channel. The topic changed from oceans to deserts and Sybil nodded off herself whilst David Attenborough talked about the wildlife of the Sahara Desert.

-ooo-

Tom arrived home just before midnight. He quietly shut the front door and walked into the sitting room, expecting to find Sybil eager to get back home. What he saw instead surprised him. Sybil's arms were wrapped around Lydia, who wasn't quite sitting, but wasn't quite lying down, leaning into Sybil's body. The blanket over them was pulled up to keep them warm, and Patch's head was peeping out over the top.

Tom stared at them for a while. Lydia looked so much like her mother, even at only five years old. The fact that she had fallen asleep in Sybil's arms pleased him. Tom always needed his daughter to have a positive role model. Tom's own sister was a good influence on Lydia, but living in Ireland meant the bursts of positivity were short-lived and uncommon. Tom was glad that Sybil had moved in next door. Not only was she a positive influence on his daughter, but she was a positive influence on him. She was beautiful and clever and good with children and well-rounded. Tom wanted to take it further with her, but he hadn't quite figured out how.

At this moment, his grip loosened and he dropped his keys on the wooden floor.

Sybil woke suddenly and saw Tom standing before her.

"Hello," Tom said. "Sorry, I um-"

"Hey," Sybil said, "sorry she's not in bed."

"Don't worry about it," Tom whispered, trying not to wake Lydia.

"She had a nightmare. I didn't mean to fall asleep too," Sybil stuttered.

"Really, it's fine," Tom said. "I'll carry her upstairs."

Tom slipped off his jacket, took off his tie and loosened his top buttons. Sybil smiled at him, suddenly more awake. He was attractive, she couldn't deny that. And he was kind and generous and Sybil wished she could just kiss him there and then. Tom slipped his arms around Lydia and lifted her from the sofa, making sure Patch was still with her. He carried her up the stairs, placed her down in her own bed and pulled the duvet over her body. Sybil followed behind him. Together they waited in silence in the doorway of Lydia's room, just for a moment, to make sure she wasn't about to wake up, before going back downstairs so that they could talk a little louder.

"Thank you so much for babysitting tonight," Tom said.

"No problem," Sybil said with a small laugh. "I enjoy looking after Lydia. She's well behaved and she never causes trouble."

"You've only seen one side of her," Tom said with a smirk.

"Shit," Sybil said under her breath as she looked through her bag for her keys.

"What's wrong?"

"I can't find my house keys. I think I might have left them on the side at home," Sybil said, still searching.

"Would Gwen still be awake to let you in?" Tom asked, looking at his watch.

"She's gone out with friends tonight," Sybil said. "She won't be back for hours."

"Well, I suppose-"

"I could see if Edith would let me stay for the night," Sybil said, getting out her phone.

"No, no, don't do that," Tom said, a little too quickly. "She doesn't live near enough to make it worth it. Why don't you stay here? You can stay in the spare room, and I've got a spare toothbrush. It's pink with princesses on it, but if it works, it works…"

"Are you sure?" Sybil said. "I wouldn't be putting you out?"

"Not at all," Tom said. "I can lend you an old t-shirt if you want something to sleep in."

"Are you sure?" Sybil asked again. "Only if it's not any trouble."

"It's no trouble at all. With all the favours you've done me over the last few months, Lord knows I owe you," Tom said.

Sybil smiled coyly at him. "Well, thank you," she said.

"You go up to the spare room and I'll find you what you need," Tom said.

Sybil obeyed his orders and slipped past him to go upstairs.

She dumped her stuff on the floor of the spare room and sat on the bed. She took off her socks and jumper (the only items of clothing she felt she could take off without it being too much for Tom to see). Tom knocked on the door and entered with a pink "Tangled" toothbrush and an old t-shirt that he'd had since his university days.

"Thank you," Sybil said, taking them from him.

"You're welcome," he smiled. "Any time. Good night."

He turned to leave the room.

"Good night," Sybil said, trying to stop her breath from hitching in her throat.

She quickly took the toothbrush to the bathroom and cleaned her teeth before returning to the spare bedroom to get changed and go to bed.

Once she had taken off her jeans, top and bra she pulled the t-shirt over her head. It smelt so strongly of Tom. She felt almost privileged to be able to wear it.

She climbed under the covers of the bed and pulled out her phone to send a text to Gwen.

 _Spending the night at Tom's. Will explain tomorrow. Hope you're having a great night out. Xxx_

With that, she settled down and went to sleep, wishing that she wasn't in the spare room.

-ooo-

When Sybil woke up, it took her a few moments to recognise where she was. Ah yes; babysitting, no keys, princess toothbrush – it all returned to her memory now.

Once Sybil had woken up a little she got dressed in the clothes she had been wearing the day before and made her way to the bathroom to clean her teeth. She actually quite liked that little pink toothbrush. She found it amusing and sweet.

She went back to the spare room to grab her phone, which she stuck in her pocket, and then made her way downstairs to see if anyone else was up and to make herself a cup of coffee. Tom was in the kitchen wearing only a pair of pyjama bottoms. Sybil slowed in her tracks, but tried not to gawk at him too obviously. (But oh God how she wanted to!)

"Mornin'," Tom said in a thick Irish accent, his voice scratchy from only recently having woken up.

"Morning," Sybil said with a smile.

"Coffee?" he asked.

"Please," Sybil said, pulling out a chair to sit at the table. She reached her phone from the pocket of her jeans only to find that Gwen had sent her endless messages.

 _You're doing what?_

 _Are you insane?_

 _He has a daughter and you're spending the night with him?_

 _Sybil talk to me_

 _Does he have a nice body?_

 _I always imagine that he does_

 _Is he even hotter with no clothes on?_

 _I WANT DETAILS!_

Sybil found it hard to stifle a laugh when she saw the messages. No doubt Gwen was drunk and was either reading too much into the text Sybil had sent or hadn't read it carefully enough. With Gwen's words in her mind, Sybil looked up at Tom. He had his back turned to her as he made the coffee, but that didn't make him any less beautiful. Sybil stared at his shoulder blades as they moved to allow his arms to make the coffee. And his arms! They should belong to a Roman god, not to the (very single and eligible) father living next door.

Tom turned and approached Sybil with a mug of coffee, and Sybil immediately darted her gaze away. She quickly sent a message back to Gwen.

 _Nothing happened. It wasn't like that. I forgot my house key and you were out, so I couldn't get back in the house. I slept in the spare room. Let me know when you are awake. I'm going to need you to let me in. Xxx_

"Everything okay?" Tom asked, placing a steaming mug of coffee in front of Sybil.

"Everything's grand," Sybil smiled. "So," she changed the subject, "how was your evening out?"

"Oh, it was alright; posh food with portions too small, a lot of slightly tipsy people in suits and not hugely riveting conversation. But I've got a lot of new contacts which will no doubt prove useful in the future."

"Sounds just like every other works networking do in the history of the universe," Sybil said with a laugh.

Her mobile phone rang.

"It's Gwen," she said as she looked at the screen.

"Does she know why you're not at home?" Tom asked, concerned that Gwen might be worrying about Sybil's whereabouts.

"Yeah, I sent her a message," Sybil said. She answered the call. "Hi, Gwen."

"Don't _hi Gwen_ me!" Gwen said indignantly and loudly enough that Sybil visibly winced and pulled the phone away from her ear slightly.

"Lovely to speak to you too," Sybil said sarcastically.

"You can't just leave me hanging like that," Gwen said. "You can't tell me you're spending the night next door and then not give me any more information."

"I'll come home in a bit," Sybil said, "and I'll explain."

"What do you mean _in a bit_?" Gwen asked.

"I've having a cup of coffee. And then I'll come back home. Give it maybe half an hour?"

"Fine," Gwen huffed. "I'll be waiting for all the juicy details!" she teased and then hung up the phone.

"All good?" Tom asked.

"Yeah, everything's fine. I think I'll go back home once I've finished my coffee," she said.

"Sure, no problem," Tom said. "It's been a bit of an eventful last twelve hours for us both," he laughed.

Sybil laughed with him, wishing he would either put a few more clothes on himself or take all of hers off.

"Daddy," Lydia called, running into the room in her pyjamas and very messy hair. "Oh, why are you still here?" she said upon seeing Sybil.

"I forgot my house key to get back home yesterday. But now Gwen is home so she can let me back in soon," Sybil explained.

Tom picked up his daughter, who wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Is Sybil going to stay her in the night again?" the little girl asked her father.

Tom blushed deep red and spluttered, "Um, I suppose, if she forgets her keys again, she might have to."

Sybil could feel the blood rushing through her face.

"I'd like that," Lydia stated simply, more to herself than to anyone else. "Daddy, can I have pancakes for breakfast?" she asked, giving him her sweetest smile.

"You want pancakes for breakfast?" he asked cheerily.

Sybil could practically feel her ovaries exploding. He was gorgeous. He was kind. He was topless. He was good with children. Oh, good Lord, how she wished he was hers.

Lydia nodded.

"Will you help me make them?" he asked.

She nodded again, enthusiastically. "Do you want some pancakes, Sybil?"

Sybil was caught off guard. She snapped her vision away from Tom's arms (she hadn't even realised that's where she was looking) and looked up at the little girl. "Oh, um, no I… I think I should go home."

"Please Sybil," Lydia begged.

"I, er…"

"You're more than welcome to stay for pancakes if you'd like to," Tom said. "But don't feel obliged."

"I'm really sorry," she said to Lydia. "I really think I ought to be getting back. I promised Gwen we'd go out for brunch today."

Lydia stuck out her bottom lip in disappointment.

"How about we invite Sybil for pancakes another time," Tom suggested.

Sybil's heart sped up.

"We could have Gwen round too, and have a grand pancake breakfast together."

"Yay!" Lydia shouted loudly.

Tom put Lydia down and she began to get out the ingredients for pancake-making.

Sybil quickly finished her coffee and stood up.

"Are you going?" Tom asked.

"I need to go upstairs to get my things, but then, yes, I think I should be off," she said.

Tom smiled at her.

She turned and made her way upstairs. Her head was in the clouds and her heart was pounding out of her chest. She went into the spare room and made sure it looked at least vaguely neat. She left a note on the side.

 _Tom, at this point I feel inclined to leave you my number, but you already have that. So, instead, I will say that I'd very much like to have to use this toothbrush again in the future. Maybe next time I'll "forget" my keys on purpose. Sybil_

She took a deep breath and left the room.

"I'm off then," she said with a bittersweet smile as she popped her head in through the kitchen door.

"Bye Sybil," Lydia said as she stood over a glass bowl mixing the ingredients together.

"I'll come and see you out," Tom said quietly.

He walked with Sybil down the hall, wanting to make the most of every second he had with her.

"Thank you again for babysitting Lydia yesterday."

"Thank you for giving me somewhere to sleep," Sybil said with a small laugh.

"Friends help each other out," Tom said. It hurt him to call her a friend and not something more.

"That they do," Sybil smiled. She opened the door and stepped outside. "We need to make a pancake date for the four of us." _Or preferably actually just for the two of us._

"Absolutely," Tom said.

They heard a crash from the kitchen.

"I ought to go and sort that out," Tom said.

"Right, then," Sybil said, backing down the path a few steps. "Bye."

"Bye," Tom said, reluctantly shutting the door.

-ooo-

Sybil walked back next door and found the front door open before she'd even knocked on it. Gwen had been waiting for her to return home.

"Tell me everything!" Gwen shrieked, dragging Sybil into the house.

"There's not much to tell," Sybil laughed.

"There's everything to tell! Come on, I want to know every juicy detail."

Gwen dragged Sybil into the kitchen where Sybil sat on the counter and Gwen sat on the table. Gwen dragged just about everything out of Sybil, despite Sybil's reluctance. The one thing Sybil didn't mention was the note she left on the side in the spare room.

"Oh," Sybil added to the end of her story, "I promised them that we'd go over to theirs soon for a pancake breakfast."

"Ooh!" Gwen said excitedly. "It'll be like a first real date!"

"Well," Sybil said, "not really. You'll be there and Lydia will be there. I don't even know if he likes me back."

"What do you mean you don't know? Of course he does! Have you seen how he looks at you? He's smitten already!" Gwen said.

Sybil hopped down from the counter, wanting to get away from the conversation. "I need to get changed and you need to get dressed and then we can go out for brunch and talk about _your_ problems."

"My problems are so boring compared to your problem though," Gwen said. "And actually, your problem isn't a problem. Sybil and Tom sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-"

Sybil lurched forward and hit Gwen with a tea towel.

"Hey!" Gwen squealed.

"Stop being cheeky then!" Sybil said in good humour. She waltzed out the room and went upstairs to get changed.

Once in her room, she looked at her own bedside table. She wondered how long it would take Tom to find that note.

* * *

 _This is quite different to what I normally do, but it was really fun to write. I don't know exactly where I'm going with this, but I do intend to write more on it. Let me know what you think in a review._


	2. Pancakes and First Dates

**Chapter 2: Pancakes and First Dates**

Sybil and Gwen were eating dinner the following Thursday and chatting about the days they had had, when Sybil's phone buzzed on the table. She picked up her phone and saw a message from Tom.

 _Are you and Gwen both free on Saturday or Sunday morning for a pancake breakfast?_

Sybil smiled without even realising.

"Is it Tom?" Gwen instantly asked. "You're smiling at a text – that's got to be Tom."

"Are you free this weekend?" Sybil asked, taking her eyes off her phone and looking at her best friend across the table, trying not to outwardly show her emotions.

"What for?" Gwen asked sceptically, reaching for her glass of wine.

"For that pancake breakfast I promised Lydia," Sybil said.

"Oh, Sybil, I'm free all weekend if it means you get a date with Tom!" she said all too enthusiastically.

"It's not a date!" Sybil chastised.

"It's close enough that it might as well be," Gwen said.

Sybil sighed and looked back at her phone. She sent Tom a message back.

 _We're both free all weekend. Which day suits you best?_

Sybil tried extremely hard to get the topic of conversation off her relationship (or lack thereof) with Tom, but Gwen was persistent as ever.

Gwen quirked an eyebrow and smirked at Sybil.

"What?" Sybil said plainly.

Gwen didn't reply.

"What?" Sybil repeated.

"I have a plan," she said, sitting back in her chair and sipping her wine.

Sybil's thoughts were interrupted by her phone buzzing again.

 _Expect a formal invitation arriving soon._

Sybil smiled at the message. No doubt Lydia wanted to make a grand thing of the breakfast, and Tom, of course, being the doting father, let her do whatever she so pleased.

Half an hour later, whilst Gwen was doing the dishes, Sybil heard the letterbox open and close. When she went to the front door, she saw a postcard-sized letter sitting on the doormat. She picked it up and inspected it. She recognized the handwriting as Lydia's 5-year-old scrawl. She smiled widely to herself and looked out of the window to see a very excited Lydia walking beside Tom back towards their house. They had just hand posted an invitation for the pancake breakfast.

Sybil walked into the kitchen and carefully opened the letter. She unfolded the paper inside and read aloud in a posher-than-usual tone,

"Dear Miss Sybil Crawley and Miss Gwen Dawson."

Gwen looked up from the sink and spun around on the spot, surprised to hear Sybil's voice.

"You are cordially invited to Lydia's pancake breakfast on Saturday the 15th of April at 9 o'clock. Pancakes will be served with a selection of toppings and drinks available. Please be prompt. We look forward to your company. Lydia Branson."

Sybil and Gwen burst out in laughter. How could they refuse such an invitation?

-ooo-

"Come on, Gwen, we can't be late!" Sybil shouted up the stairs to her best friend.

"I'm coming, I'm coming, keep your hair on!" Gwen said sarcastically as she came down the stairs. "I'm not going to stop you from seeing your Prince Charming!"

Sybil flashed Gwen a disapproving look, which Gwen only laughed at.

"Are you ready to go?" Sybil asked.

"I need my shoes and my bag, but then I'm ready," Gwen replied.

She walked into the kitchen (with not enough urgency as far as Sybil was concerned – Lydia's invitation said to be prompt, but at this rate they were going to be late) and grabbed her bag, before making her way back to the porch to put on some shoes.

"You look nice," she said, looking at Sybil and taking in her outfit for the first time today. She was wearing jeans with lace-up brown heeled boots and a pale blue top with a tad too much cleavage showing. Her hair was left to cascade down her back and her makeup and jewellery was subtle but elegant.

"Do you think it's too much?" Sybil asked.

"Depends what for," Gwen stated. "For going next door for a pancake breakfast, yes. For attracting the single father next door so that he wants to carry you off to bed, no."

"Gwen!" Sybil warned.

"You asked a question – I gave a helpful answer!" Gwen said, knowing full well that her answer was not at all helpful. She took Sybil by the hand and dragged her outside. "Come on, we don't want to be late."

The walk to Tom and Lydia's front door was very short. Too short. Sybil wasn't prepared for what might happen. Tom hadn't mentioned the note Sybil had left and it was killing her from the inside out that she didn't know what he thought of it. Did he ever even find it? What if Lydia found it before he did? Oh God, maybe agreeing to the pancake breakfast wasn't the best idea. Before Sybil knew it, she and Gwen were standing by Tom's front door and Gwen had rung the doorbell. There was no backing out now.

"Hello!" Lydia said enthusiastically as she opened the door. She was wearing a pink, frilly apron that her Irish grandmother had made for her, which was covered in flour.

"Hello!" Sybil and Gwen said in unison, both wearing wide smiles on their lips.

"I need my head chef back!" Tom called from the back of the house.

Lydia looked back towards the kitchen and then quickly turned to the ladies at the door and said, "Come in, and close the door behind you. I need to go and help daddy. He's a terrible chef!"

Sybil and Gwen looked at each other and laughed. Lydia was adorable and Tom certainly was wrapped around her little finger!

They took off their shoes and wandered slowly into the house, making their way to the kitchen. They could hear clattering of utensils and sizzling of pancakes. They found Tom also wearing an apron (though not a pink frilly one) as he cooked with his daughter.

"Hi," Sybil said tentatively.

"Mornin'," Tom said in his thick Irish brogue. "Please sit down," Tom said, gesturing to their dining room table at one end of the kitchen. "Would either of you like a drink? Tea, coffee, orange juice…"

"A coffee would be lovely actually," Sybil said.

"Tea for me please," Gwen said.

"Coming right up!" Tom said. He boiled the kettle and got out three mugs (presumably one for himself) and began to make the drinks.

Sybil and Gwen quickly glanced at one another.

Sybil said, "Um, do you need some help. I feel a bit useless making you two do all the work."

"You're our guests," Lydia said. "So you should sit and relax and we'll do the cooking."

"Lydia's quite right," Tom said, turning towards the table with two mugs in his hands. "You're our guests, so we'll do everything and you can just enjoy the experience."

Enjoying the experience was exactly what Sybil was doing. As Tom placed her coffee in front of her, she noticed that his shirt sleeves were rolled up, exposing his gorgeous forearms. She smiled at him and thanked him when he placed the mug down, but deep within her she was screaming. She had seen what that shirt covered. She knew what was there and it made her want to get up and rip the fabric from his body right this instant. She wondered if he would protest if she were to do so. But now was far from the right time to test it out.

A few minutes later Lydia served up a pile of crepe-style pancakes. She and Tom sat down at the table and everyone helped themselves to pancakes and toppings – sugar, lemon juice, Nutella, jam, honey and fresh fruit.

The conversation flowed freely, due to the fact that Lydia (thankfully) was the only one who didn't know about Sybil and Tom liking each other, so she didn't sense the awkward moments and carried on regardless.

Once everyone had finished their pancakes and the conversation began to slow, Tom began to take empty dishes to the side and started packing the dishwasher. Sybil found herself moving towards him to help him, almost without even realising. It was as though there was a magnetic force drawing them together which they were helpless to resist.

"Come on, Lydia," Gwen said. "Why don't we go outside? It's a gorgeous day!"

Lydia hopped up and ran outside, followed by Gwen who gave Sybil a wink before she left. This had been her plan all along – to distract Lydia and leave Sybil in Tom's company. Sybil scowled at her, but continued to pack the dishwasher with Tom in silence.

Once it was done, Tom set it off and said, "Thank you."

"No problem."

"Sybil, you look lovely," he said slowly and with a lower voice than usual.

"Thank you," she said with a smile. "So do you."

"Sybil, I," Tom said, stalling over his next words, "I saw the note you left me in the spare room."

"Ah," Sybil said, barely able to breathe in anticipation.

"I didn't know you felt that way," he said.

Sybil prepared herself for his next words being _'But I don't feel the same way'_.

"I thought my feelings weren't reciprocated," he said.

Sybil's eyes widened and her jaw dropped.

"You mean…" she said, unable to get her words out. Her heart was pounding against her ribcage and her breathing was fast and shallow.

"I think your feelings towards me are mutual. More than mutual," Tom said.

Sybil was speechless.

"When I read that note, my heart was practically thumping out of my chest. I wanted to ring you right there and then, come round to yours and never let you go."

"Tom," Sybil said, darting her eyes from his eyes to his lips, longing to kiss him.

"So, will you go on a date with me?" he asked. "A real date, without Lydia and Gwen around."

"Of course I will," Sybil said quietly, her lips cracking into a beaming smile.

They heard the sound of Lydia's laughter outside and suddenly they were snapped back into reality.

"Are you free next Friday evening?" Sybil asked.

"If I can get someone to look after Lydia I am," Tom said.

"I'm sure Gwen would babysit for you. I'll ask her later and get back to you."

"Daddy!" Lydia called, running back into the house.

Suddenly Sybil and Tom each took a step back. They hadn't even noticed that somewhere along the line, they had become very close to one another. Easily within touching distance; easily within kissing distance…

"Daddy, you have to come and see the butterflies in the garden! There are loads of them!"

She took hold of Tom's hand and dragged him outside with her. Sybil followed.

As Lydia dragged her father away to point out the butterflies, Gwen sidled up to Sybil by the back door, with a knowing smile.

"So?" she enquired expectantly.

Sybil coughed and tried to keep a straight face. "Are you free to babysit Lydia on Friday evening?" she asked.

"Oh my God!" Gwen squealed, trying to stay as quiet as possible so as not to draw attention to herself. "Yes! Yes! One hundred percent yes!"

She wrapped her arms tightly around Sybil and squeezed. Gwen was almost more excited than Sybil.

-ooo-

"Lydia, can you get into your pyjamas please?" Tom asked. "Gwen's going to be here soon and I want you ready for bed before she arrives."

"Why isn't Sybil coming?" Lydia asked.

"Don't you like Gwen?" Tom asked, avoiding the question.

"No, I do," Lydia said, "but usually Sybil comes over when you go out."

"That's true," Tom said. "Gwen is coming instead of Sybil because tonight the person I'm going out with is Sybil."

"You're going out with Sybil?"

"Yes," Tom said simply.

"Where are you going?"

"We're going to go out for dinner."

"Why don't you just have dinner at home?"

"Well, because," Tom started.

"Is it a date?" Lydia asked bluntly.

Tom took a deep breath. "Yes, darling, it is."

Lydia was about to ask something else, but Tom cut her off. "Pyjamas! Now!"

Lydia dramatically huffed up the stairs and Tom breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn't planning on telling Lydia anything about the date until he knew whether things would work out between him and Sybil, but he couldn't lie to his daughter when she asked such obvious questions.

A few minutes later the doorbell rang and Tom answered the door. He found Gwen standing on the step with Sybil a few paces behind her.

"Hi," he said cheerfully. "Come on in."

Sybil and Gwen both stepped into the house. Gwen made her way to the living room to put down her things, but Sybil remained in the hallway. She wasn't quite sure what to do with herself. She had never been in this situation before. She'd always felt at home in Tom's house. But at this moment, it felt like a foreign entity; like she was somehow imposing on his private life.

"Daddy, are you going now?" Lydia asked as she walked down the stairs with Patch firmly in her grasp.

"Yes, my darling. Gwen is going to look after you and make sure you go to bed on time."

Tom picked Lydia up to give her a hug.

"Are you going to have fun tonight?" Lydia asked.

"I very much hope so, yes," Tom said with a smile and a sideways glance aimed at Sybil.

"I love you daddy," she said as she squirmed down from her father's grasp.

"I love you too, darlin'," he said, his Irish brogue strong enough to make Sybil weak at the knees.

Lydia scuttled back upstairs and left the adults to their business.

"Thanks for doing this Gwen," Tom said to the redhead beside him.

"Anything for a friend," she said. "I'm going to go and make sure Lydia gets into bed. You two have fun." She hugged them both and kissed them each on the cheek before turning to follow the five year old up the stairs.

"Ready to go?" Tom asked tentatively. He was surprised that he was so nervous. He knew Sybil well. He knew that his feelings towards her were reciprocated. He shouldn't be feeling so nervous. "The taxi's here."

"I'm ready if you are," Sybil said.

He grabbed his house keys and followed her outside. He opened the door to the taxi to allow Sybil to get in. He rounded to the other side of the vehicle and took a deep breath before getting in himself. _Pull yourself together, Branson. She likes you back._

The journey to the restaurant was short, yet the conversation seemed stilted. Too many nerves and not enough confidence meant that neither Sybil nor Tom quite knew what to say, despite the fact that they had always been so comfortable around one another.

When they arrived at the restaurant, Tom stopped Sybil before they had even started walking towards the entrance. He stood opposite her and put his hands gently on her waist, all the while his mind flooding with doubt. Was this too intimate? Would she think he was being too forward?

"You look gorgeous, Sybil," he said diffidently.

Sybil felt her cheeks blush. Her breath quickened, despite her attempts to control it. She lowered her gaze and her lips curved into a soft smile.

"Really," Tom said, gaining confidence in himself and his feelings. "You're stunning, Sybil."

"Tom," she mumbled, looking back up at him.

His eyes were the perfect shade of blue. They sparkled as they looked back at her. Every part of Tom seemed perfect to Sybil. Not a hair out of place. He was wearing smart trousers with a light blue shirt, with the top buttons undone. His look was completed with a smart jacket and his perfect smile. Opposite him, Sybil matched his smile. Her hair was curled into soft waves that hung below her shoulders. She was wearing a teal organza tea dress with a lace bodice. She was wearing a pair of darker teal heels, with a shawl to match the colour of her shoes. Her jewellery, a real diamond necklace and matching earrings, which she had inherited from her great mother, and which she very rarely wore because for most occasions they were too grand and unnecessary, glimmered in the evening light. Her cheeks were flushed a deep shade of pink and her eyes darkened as she took in the sight of the man standing before her.

Tom's breath hitched in his throat. He instinctually pushed a lock of Sybil's hair behind her ear. He barely had control of his hand, but he couldn't possibly do anything else. He wanted to be intimate with Sybil. He needed to be intimate with Sybil. It felt so natural to be close to her.

Sybil's breath stopped. Her lips parted ever so slightly. Her eyes darted down to Tom's lips before lifting back to his eyes. Her eyes were begging him for permission.

Tom cradled her cheek softly in his hand and leant forward slowly.

Sybil closed the gap between them. Her lips covered his gently as one hand moved to his muscular upper arm, the other to the nape of his neck.

Tom parted his lips slightly and Sybil gladly followed suit.

When they parted they stayed close and silent, both suddenly breathing heavier than usual.

Tom's grip on Sybil's waist remained soft and gentle.

Sybil smiled widely. Tom smiled back, his shoulders visibly relaxing.

Sybil caressed the nape of Tom's neck with her fingertips, sending shivers down his spine. She bit her lower lip and let out a small nervous laugh.

"Should we go in?" Tom said quietly, his voice deep and raspy.

Sybil nodded and stepped away from Tom in an attempt to slow the beating of her heart slightly.

Tom allowed Sybil to walk half a pace in front of him and he placed his hand on her lower back. The contact surprised Sybil, but she didn't shy away from it. In a few minutes they would be sitting across the table from one another. Good. The distance between them would prevent Sybil from spending the whole night with his lips locked to hers (or with her legs wrapped around his torso).

"We have a reservation under the name Branson," Tom said to the head waiter standing behind the small desk which held a sign which read ' _Please wait here to be seated_ '.

The waiter, who was wearing a white shirt, black tie and black jacket, entered some information on the computer system before saying, "Very good, sir, if you'd like to follow me, I'll seat you at your table."

The restaurant was small, and Sybil and Tom were seated at the furthest end. It was quieter there and seemed more intimate. They could talk freely without feeling as though they were disturbing other diners.

Once they had sat and ordered drinks their conversation ran freely. The time ran away from them and they couldn't have felt more natural with one another. The stunted conversation in the taxi was a distant memory. Anyone would now have had a hard time to shut the pair up.

Once they had left the restaurant, Sybil wanted to kiss Tom more than before. Whilst they were inside, she felt far too comfortable for it to feel like a first date, but now that they were outside and there was nothing between them, Sybil suddenly felt incredibly nervous and out of place.

"What time is it?" Tom mumbled to himself as he pulled back the fabric of his jacket sleeve to look at his watch. "It's only half past ten. Do you mind if we go somewhere before we go home?"

Sybil narrowed her eyes at Tom inquisitively. "Where?"

"I know somewhere that has a beautiful view at night. It's only a five minute walk from here."

"Take the lead," Sybil said with a smile.

Tom's hand rested on her lower back again as they started moving, which caused Sybil's breath to hitch in her throat – a common occurrence when she was around Tom.

"Can I ask you a question?" Sybil asked.

"Of course," Tom replied.

"How long have you had feelings for me that you were too nervous to admit?"

"Since I helped you set up your furniture on the day you and Gwen moved in," he said, without missing a beat.

"Really?" Sybil asked. "That early on?"

"Really," Tom said. "That's when I first saw the spark you have for life. I've wanted to be a part of your spark ever since. What about you? When did you first develop feelings for me?"

"Not quite so soon, I'll admit," Sybil said. "When I found out you had Lydia, I thought you were married, or at least had a girlfriend. I thought you were off the table entirely."

"I've never even been on a date since moving here," Tom said slowly. "And that was when Lydia was about six months old."

Sybil looked at him with wide eyes and a questioning gaze.

"Yeah," Tom said softly. "I've never had time to and I've never wanted to. Lydia's been my everything for five years. Everything I do is for her. And I've never questioned that. At least, I didn't until I met you. And then it was like a lightbulb went off in my head. I need to do something for myself or I'm going to burn myself out."

"And I'm that something?" Sybil asked.

"You're that something," Tom confirmed, not liking how it sounded. He didn't want her to think that he wanted possession of her. "If," he added quickly, "you'll have me."

"Gladly," Sybil said simply. She smiled and moved so that his hand fell from her back, so that she could take it in her own, intertwining his fingers with hers.

They walked for a few minutes in silence, wanting to be close to each other, but not needing to talk to show their emotions. They rounded a corner and found themselves in a field, standing at the top of a hill. They overlooked the city, with shining yellow and white lights piercing the darkness. The city was alive with movement, despite the hour.

"Tom," Sybil said, unsure what to say.

He smiled at the wonder he saw in her expression.

"This is beautiful. How do you know about this view?"

"I once went camping in this field with a few friends of mine, long before I had Lydia. It struck me then how beautiful it was, and every time I've been here since it's seemed even better."

"It's amazing."

-ooo-

They had stayed looking at the view for a while longer before getting a taxi back home where they didn't want to part. Before they walked up Tom's pathway (where they knew Gwen would be able to hear them), they paused.

"Thank you," Sybil said, "for a perfect evening."

"It wouldn't have been perfect without you there," he said. "I would very much like to do this again."

"I will be incredibly disappointed if we don't do this again," Sybil said, smiling.

She moved one hand to the nape of his neck and the other to his cheek.

Tom's hands moved to her waist and lower back, a spot which he didn't yet know made Sybil's lust for him triple.

Sybil leant forward and placed her lips gently on his. She parted her lips slightly and sucked his lower lip between her teeth. He keenly parted his own lips and wanted to go further, but knew that now wasn't the time. All he could do was relish the current moment and hope that Sybil would allow him further next time.

When Sybil pulled away, she kept her forehead pressed against Tom's.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Tom smiled at her and gazed into her eyes.

"Next time will be even better."

"I look forward to it," Sybil said.

"I take that as a yes to a second date," Tom said with a sideways smirk.

"It's an absolutely to a second date."

She kissed him gently again, but lessened the depth of this kiss. She needed to provide the two of them with enough to get them through to the next date, but not so much that they wouldn't last that long.

They walked slowly up the path and Tom turned his key in the lock to let them into the house. Lydia was in bed and Gwen was watching trashy television.

"Hey," Gwen said when she saw them. "Did you two have a good time?"

"We had a brilliant time," Tom said, looking at Sybil. Even a blind man would be able to tell that the two of them were smitten with one another. "Thank you so much for babysitting Lydia, Gwen."

"No problem," Gwen said. "You know I'm happy to do it whenever you need it." She looked sideways at Sybil and smirked slightly.

Sybil raised an eyebrow at Sybil, looked down and felt her cheeks blush. She knew only too well that Gwen would want a full run down of her date, as soon as Tom was out of ear shot.

Sybil and Gwen said their goodbyes (despite Sybil's reluctance) and made their way back next door to their own home.

As soon as they were down Tom's front path Gwen begged Sybil for information.

"Come on then, how was it?"

"It was lovely," Sybil said.

"Lovely?" Gwen asked incredulously. "What sort of lovely? What happened? What did you talk about?"

"That's for me to know," Sybil said, refusing to give any information.

"Oh my God!" Gwen squealed. "Did you kiss him?"

Sybil smirked and looked away from Gwen.

"Oh my God! You did!"

"I'm confirming nothing!" Sybil said with a small laugh, having far too much fun teasing her best friend.

Gwen continued to beg for details until they reached their own front door. She opened the door, but then stood in the doorway to block Sybil's path.

"You can't come in until you've told me something to work with," Gwen said firmly.

"Then will you stop badgering me?" Sybil sighed.

"Until your next date, yes," Gwen said. "You are having a second date aren't you?"

"Yes we're going to go out again," Sybil smiled.

Gwen bit her lip in excited anticipation.

"Just one piece of gossip about the date," Gwen pleaded.

"We kissed," Sybil said simply.

Gwen slumped. "I already know that."

"More than once," Sybil whispered as she pushed her way past Gwen.

Gwen jumped up with a shriek and followed Sybil into the house, closing the door behind her. "You what? How many times? How was it? Is he a good kisser?"

"Uh, uh, uh," Sybil said haughtily. "You said one piece of gossip. That is plenty of gossip for a first date. You will have to wait until my next date to continue this story!"

She kicked off her shoes and hopped up the stairs, laughing at her best friend.

"When's your next date?" Gwen called after her.

"I don't know," Sybil said, turning back to face the redhead. "We haven't organised anything yet."

"How about tomorrow? I'm not sure I can wait any longer than twenty four hours!"

Sybil laughed at her and turned back to go to her bedroom without answering the question. She knew Gwen would be persistent, but she hadn't anticipated such tirelessness. Though, come to think of it, going on a second date tomorrow didn't sound like such a bad idea.

* * *

 _I hope you enjoyed this! This is not quite the end. I do have one more chapter in mind to finish off this story, but I'm willing to take any suggestions of what you would like to see in this story. Please leave a review if you have the time!_


	3. No Longer Neighbours

**Chapter 3: No Longer Neighbours**

It had been five months since Sybil and Tom's first date. Their relationship had progressed quickly, and it had only taken a few weeks for them to fall into bed together, much to Gwen's excitement. They had been almost inseparable since that moment. Most of their evenings (and many of their nights) were spent at Tom's house, whilst Lydia was in bed. Ideally they would have spent more time at Sybil's house, but with Lydia around, it was easier to keep her in her own home and her own bed than to disrupt matters.

Lydia had recently started Year 2 at school, having turned 6 in early summer. She'd only been back at school for a few weeks, but she was enjoying it immensely. Despite her young age, she seemed to have her father's thirst for knowledge. Maths was her favourite subject, along with history. She was currently learning about the Great Fire of London and after each history lesson she would come home with new facts to spurt to Tom and Sybil. Lydia was now very used to having Sybil around. She knew that she stayed the night in Tom's bed and that they loved each other and that they both still loved her. At first Lydia found it hard to think that Tom could care so greatly for another person. For all of Lydia's life, he had projected all of his love and care onto her, but now Sybil was in the picture and Tom was splitting his attention between the two of them. Sybil had tried to help in any way she could, by giving Lydia some time alone with her father when she needed it, and by spending time to bond with her, just the girls together, when the time was right.

The three of them had unexpectedly become a family unit. Tom never intended things to turn out how they had. He had expected him and Sybil to date without Lydia knowing that they were anything more than friends. But Lydia was a clever girl and had asked too many questions that Tom couldn't leave unanswered.

Lydia liked Sybil and she liked that when Sybil was picking her up from school she could say her "daddy's girlfriend" was picking her up, rather than having to say her "next door neighbour" was picking her up. Lydia had really latched on to the idea of having Sybil around the house so much and having Sybil look after her as much as Tom did.

-ooo-

Sybil and Tom were lying together in bed, wearing very few clothes. They were going through an Indian summer and even though the window was open, the air was humid and there was no breeze. Of course it didn't help that they had only a short while ago partaken in some very physical activities with one another.

Despite the heat and the fact that they wanted nothing more than for their bare bodies to be pressed together, they had thrown on some lightweight clothes. They had learnt by experience that staying naked together for too long was a risky business when there was a six year old in the house who sometimes woke up and came looking for the adults. Tom was wearing a pair of pyjama bottoms and Sybil was wearing one of Tom's oversized tops that came to below her backside – the same top that he had lent her on that night when she stayed in the spare room.

"I feel like we haven't been this close in ages," Tom said quietly, nuzzling Sybil's hair with his chin as he curled strands around his fingers.

"We haven't," Sybil said, settling deeper into the crook of his arm, placing a hand on his bare chest. "We've barely seen each other for weeks."

"You work too hard," Tom said, slowly running a hand up and down her arm.

"So do you," Sybil replied, tracing patterns on his chest.

"I don't work hard enough," Tom said, berating himself as he so often did when it came to his work. He loved his job, but when things didn't go to plan he blamed himself. For the past few weeks things hadn't been going to plan. There was too much going on at work and at home and he felt like he wasn't concentrating entirely on either.

"Tom you work harder than anyone I know," Sybil said, shifting in her spot to face Tom, propping herself up on her elbows. "You work a full time job, you're a single parent and you go above and beyond to make your daughter happy."

"Am I single? What are you trying to tell me?" Tom teased, his lop-sided smirk forming on his lips.

"You know what I mean," Sybil said with a small laugh. "You put all of your energy into giving Lydia the best life you can, but you're burning yourself out. You can't put one hundred percent into loving Lydia and one hundred percent into work and one hundred percent into our relationship. You don't have three hundred percent, Tom. Nobody does. You need to look after yourself or you'll break."

Tom held Sybil's gaze and frowned slightly.

"What?" Sybil said, her own brows knotting together.

"It's nothing," Tom said, shaking his head and avoiding Sybil's gaze.

"Hey, Tom," she urged, cupping his face with her hand and turning his face towards her, "speak to me. What's wrong?"

"I've just felt like you've been a bit distant from me recently," he confessed.

"I've just been working too many unsocial hours," she said. "I feel like I've been a bit distant from everyone recently."

"But, Syb, I've felt like you've loved me less," Tom said.

Sybil shifted uncomfortably in her place. She didn't move away from Tom, but she did avert his gaze.

"Sybil?" Tom asked, a slight tone of panic invading his voice. "Speak to me, love."

Sybil sighed.

"I haven't loved you less," she said, looking him in the eye again. "I could never love you less. I love you more than I ever knew possible."

"Then what's wrong?"

"I've been thinking about Lydia's mother," Sybil said slowly, not knowing what Tom's reaction would be. Sybil knew practically nothing about Lydia's mother, other than that she wasn't in the picture and never had been. "What happened? You never mention her. Neither does Lydia. Why is that?"

"It's all in the past, I suppose," Tom said, clearly becoming uncomfortable with the topic of conversation.

"Just because it's in the past, it doesn't mean you shouldn't talk about it," Sybil said. "I've told you about all of my past relationships. And you've told me about all of yours. Apart from your relationship with Lydia's mother."

"You know about my relationship with Steph. It lasted long enough for her to get pregnant, give birth, take off and leave me with a new-born daughter. That's all there is to it," Tom said, wanting the conversation to end.

"But it's not is it?" Sybil pried.

Tom sat up slightly and shuffled away from Sybil a little.

"I know you don't want to talk about it," Sybil said. "But I don't see a way that we can be together if I don't know what happened six years ago. I know it was one of the worst times of your life. I get that. But it's an important part. It left you with a beautiful daughter to look after. How can we carry on together if I don't understand what happened?"

Tom sighed and took a calming breath to explain his past.

"I started going out with Steph when we were both at university. She was a year younger than me. I was studying history and politics, she was studying English. Then all it took was one drunken night, sex without protection, and she was pregnant."

Sybil moved to sit up, her legs crossed beneath her. She knew this was hard for Tom to talk about. His past hadn't been an easy one, and Sybil was now finding out exactly why.

"We were both too young. I was nearly 22, she had just turned 21. I had just started my first job after uni, and she was in her final year. We talked it over and weighed up all the options and we decided to go through with it. Neither of us was settled in terms of a job or a house. Nothing about our predicament said we were ready to have a baby and raise a child, but Steph wouldn't even consider an abortion."

"Did you want her to have one?" Sybil asked.

"I never knew what I felt about it. I never really had to make a decision though. Steph was so much against the idea that I didn't even get a chance to work through my own feelings about it."

Sybil looked down at her hands in her lap and her eyebrows pulled together. She couldn't imagine going through what Tom had been through with Steph.

"So we went through with it and we had Lydia. I was there every step of the way. I knew an abortion wasn't an option, so I came to terms with it and prepared myself in every way I could. We didn't have a lot of money, but we did what we could to prepare. I knew there wasn't a way out of it, so preparing for the inevitable was all we could do. I don't think Steph always understood that."

Sybil looked up at Tom and frowned slightly.

"She had some mental health issues," Tom explained. "Nothing was ever officially diagnosed, but I think she was bipolar. Sometimes she thought getting pregnant was the best thing to ever happen to her, and sometimes she was close to suicidal because of it. The last couple of months of the pregnancy were really hard. She was in a constant state of depression and in the end it got too much for her. She gave birth a week after her final exam. We lived together at the time. We took Lydia home and tried to settle into a routine. But a few weeks after Lydia was born, Steph just left. She packed up her stuff without me knowing and left in the middle of the night. She left me behind with Lydia. I tried to get in contact with her. I had no idea where she was. She wouldn't answer any of the phone calls or messages I sent her. In the end I got a message from her mum. Steph had gone down to Kent to stay with her parents. She wanted to give Lydia up for adoption. I point blank refused to give up my daughter, so eventually Steph gave up all rights to Lydia and I took them all up."

"Has she ever regretted giving up her daughter? Giving up her life with you?"

"I don't know," Tom said. "The last time I spoke to her was during the court hearings when she officially gave up all her rights. She's never tried to make contact with me or Lydia since. She's never shown any interest in her own daughter."

"Have you ever missed her?" Sybil asked.

Tom sighed. "She was mentally unstable and she was sometimes hard to be around. But I did love her. Or, at least, I thought I did. I thought that's what love was. I missed her at the beginning. There were times when all I wanted to do was pack up and leave, but I couldn't. Steph had already done that and I couldn't put Lydia through two parents leaving her behind. She gave me the most beautiful daughter and I can't thank her enough for such a gift. Lydia put my life on track. She made me grow up and without her I wouldn't be where I am today. But, no, I don't miss her now. My life is better now for what happened six years ago."

"Does Lydia ever ask after her?" Sybil said, prying further into Tom's personal life.

"She's asked a few times why everyone else at school has a mum and dad, but she's only got a dad. I can't lie to her, so I tell her the truth. That her mum wasn't ready for the responsibility of having a baby and she was mentally unstable and scared and so she left her with me," Tom said, sadness creeping through his expression. "I try to convince myself that I'm as good as two parents. I've been here for her more than anyone else ever could be. I tell myself she doesn't need a mother if she's got me, but she wants one. She wants a mum like everyone else."

Sybil's heart broke at that. Lydia was an innocent little girl who deserved more than to be abandoned by her mother. Sybil suddenly felt a wave of affection for the child who wasn't hers. Sybil had never even been convinced that she wanted children of her own. They were never really on her life plan, but that didn't change the fact that she now felt responsible for Tom's daughter – more than she ever thought possible of someone else's child.

"Daddy," a small voice said from the doorway.

"What are you doing out of bed, darlin'?" Tom said, climbing out of bed and approaching Lydia.

"I'm afraid of the dark," she mumbled, holding Patch tight to her.

"You've never been afraid of the dark before," Tom said, crouching next to his daughter.

Lydia said nothing, but crawled into Tom's arms and hugged him.

Tom knew that this was a ruse to get another cuddle and a story, but he couldn't resist her six year old charm.

"Come on," he said, picking her up and carrying her back to bed.

Sybil felt a pang of love run through her body. She loved Tom; she loved Lydia; she loved being a part of their family unit. She quietly got out of bed and followed Tom to Lydia's room. She stood in the doorway, where Tom couldn't see her, looking onto the scene in front of her.

Tom was sat beside Lydia's bed, reading one of Lydia's favourite stories. She was curled up under the covers, struggling to keep her eyes open as her father told the story.

By the time he had finished the story, Lydia was fast asleep, so he placed the book gently on the side and kissed the little girl's forehead before turning to go back to his own bed. He wasn't expecting Sybil to be right there in the doorway.

"Hey, love," he whispered. He put an arm around her and pulled her close. Sybil rested her head on his shoulder as they stood to watch Lydia sleeping peacefully. Tom kissed through Sybil's hair.

Sybil turned and wrapped her arms around Tom's neck, pulling him down into a kiss.

Tom deepened the kiss and allowed his hands to wander down her back, past her hips and to her backside. Sybil jumped up and wrapped her legs around Tom's waist. He walked her to his bedroom and kicked the door closed behind them. Sybil continued to kiss Tom as they moved until they fell onto the bed, Tom hovering above Sybil.

Tom began to kiss Sybil's neck, sending shivers down her spine, but she shimmied away slightly, taking all the strength she had.

"Wait, wait," she said.

"What's wrong?" Tom asked.

"Nothing, I just want to say something," Sybil said, "before we go any further."

Tom moved and they both sat on the bed facing one another, the air between them hot and desperate.

"Tom, I love you. I love you unconditionally. And I'm sorry that I didn't tell you what I was thinking before. I should have told you that I wanted to know about Lydia's mother. I shouldn't have held back my feelings. I know it was hard for you to talk about your past, especially that part of your past, so thank you. Thank you for including me and sharing your life with me."

"What if I told you I want to share more than just my life with you? I want to share my house with you," Tom said.

Sybil's eyes widened and her jaw dropped.

"I would love you to move in with me," he said.

Sybil was speechless and Tom's heart sank.

"You don't have to give an answer now, and of course I would never hold it against you if you don't want to, and I know it's a big step, especially as I have a daughter, and –" He was flustered and wanted the ground to swallow him up and never see the light of day again.

Sybil cut off his words with a deep kiss.

"Of course I'll move in with you," she said when they broke apart. "I've been waiting for you to ask."

Tom kissed Sybil, threading his fingers through her hair.

"You mean it? Really?" Tom asked, unable to suppress a grin.

"Yes!" Sybil laughed. "I've practically been living here for months. It's about time we made it official!"

He kissed her again. They fell backwards onto the bed, and Tom's hands moved down Sybil's body to play with the hem of her (or rather his) top.

Tom knelt over Sybil and continued to kiss her. He kissed down her jaw and neck, causing Sybil to buck her hips against him.

She moaned his name quietly, begging him to go further.

He moved down her body and began a trail of kisses up her inner thigh, missing the all-important goal before repeating the process on the other leg.

His stubble scratched against Sybil's skin and only made her more desperate for him. Her hands grabbed handfuls of the sheets beneath her, the only way to stop her from screaming out his name.

Tom pushed Sybil's top up her torso and kissed across her stomach, moving up bit by bit until her breasts were exposed. He kissed around each of her nipples, making them push out even further, searching for his touch. He sucked each of them into his mouth in turn and circled his tongue over them.

Sybil pulled the top over her head, leaving her body entirely naked, and then leant forward to push Tom's pyjama bottoms down to expose him.

He kicked the fabric off his legs and surrendered himself to Sybil's touch.

Their positions were flipped, with Sybil now on top of him. She wrapped her fingers around his hard cock and ran them up the length of it and back down, creating a rhythm that she knew would have Tom teetering on the edge.

He was close, and she knew it. That's why she stopped. The longer she could drag this out the better.

She crawled up his body, her legs spread over him and trailed kisses across his chest, forging a path in the dents between his muscles.

He reached over to tangle his fingers in her hair, already tousled from the couple's activities earlier in the night.

She moved further up his body and placed a line of kisses from one shoulder to the other, across his collarbones.

Tom bucked his hips against Sybil's and she grinded against him in response. She could feel the blood rushing to her core as it pulsated in anticipation. No doubt Tom was feeling the same way.

Sybil leant forward and stole his breath with a deep kiss. It was filled with passion and desire. They both wanted nothing more than to be together.

As their lips remained locked together, Tom slowly sat up, bringing Sybil up with him. Sybil wrapped her legs around Tom and hoped he would take the hint.

He reached between them and began to play with her clit. She moaned a little too loudly to be considered safe, and threw her head back, pulling Tom's hair in the process.

Tom laid her down on her back and moved down her body, his fingers never wavering from her core. He kissed around her entrance before kissing it directly. He moved his hand out of the way and replaced it with his mouth. He teased her button with his tongue, flicking it with no rhythm.

"I need you, Tom," Sybil groaned.

He ran his tongue between her lips, taking in her taste. With two fingers he entered her and began to rub her G-spot, all the while continuing the moves of his tongue on her clit.

"Tom," she moaned, throwing back her head and wishing for more.

With his spare hand he reached up to caress her breast, rubbing her nipple with his thumb.

"I love you, Syb," he whispered, his stubble rubbing over her sensitive skin, causing Sybil to buck against him.

"Show me," she begged.

He moved up her body, positioned himself and entered her, keeping one hand on her clitoris, the other holding himself up.

She wrapped her legs behind him and brought them closer together. His thrusts began slowly, but Sybil wanted more. She needed more.

She began thrusting her own hips against his, starting entirely out of sync, before finding a rhythm that matched his. They crashed together, enjoying the pleasure of the feel of each other.

They needed this. They had been desperate for one another in recent weeks without really realising it.

Sybil couldn't keep her hands off Tom's chest and his hand had moved from her clitoris to knead her breasts.

They both moaned at the pleasure and they knew they were both almost there.

Sybil orgasmed, tightening her core around Tom's pounding cock. Her orgasm triggered his as he spewed his seed within her.

Tom leant forward to kiss Sybil. It was a hot, sticky, breathless sort of kiss. Their hearts were pounding and their lungs were trying their best to re-establish some normality to their breathing.

Tom fell beside Sybil, still trying to stay as physically close as possible.

"I love you," he muttered.

"That may have been our last time as next door neighbours," Sybil said.

"I hope it is," he said, rubbing his stubbly jaw against her shoulder. "And I hope our first time living together is just as good."

"It will be even better," Sybil promised, threading her fingers through his. No matter how long they stayed together, Sybil knew that she would never stop loving him, nor lusting after him. From the moment when they first met, she knew she had her work cut out for her to resist him. Her efforts to do so had failed miserably, but in the most wonderful way possible. If all went to plan, she would never have to fight her feelings to resist him ever again.

* * *

 _I hope you enjoyed this final chapter. Nothing like ending with a bit of smutty goodness! Please review if you enjoyed._


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